Ready Set Go…translation – Vision, Build and Implement the Alumni CODE

2012 has been full of reflection, changes and journeys. Some are daily musings and reflections of appreciation, while others are action based opportunities to try new things. A new adventure begins on June 4th as I take on the Associate Director, Undergraduate Alumni Engagement. I am excited about this upcoming opportunity as once again, I get to vision, build and implement.

Already, through focus groups and interviews, have been visioning what this should look like. What I appreciate are the many alumni and students who came/come forward to help build this (Many thanks to Gurjeet and Nima for their extra efforts to make this a huge success . Those who have jumped in to help, realize that it is something that will strengthen an already great business school and university.

An artist has a blank canvas, I have a blank mandate…what should this look like? I need to come up with key words and phrases. So through the help of some key people, there are four words and four areas of focus (4X4) that are important and become the foundation of what will be built. We have come up with the alumni CODE. The four words are Connections, Opportunities, Development and Engagement.
• C – Connections – our need to provide an arena where our alumni can build connections with each other, the university and employers
• O- Opportunities – a commitment to provide opportunities so we have continued engagement by our alumni
• D – Development – making sure we provide an avenue of personal and professional development
• E – Engagement – having enthusiasm, pride and passion in our business school and the university

The four areas of influence to complement the four key words are:
• Engaging with current students and those about to graduate and make them aware of the opportunities to be an engaged alumni – it does not end when you cross the stage
• Those who are actively involved as alumni, making sure that they are continually supported so they stay connected
• Locating the alumni we have lost touch with
• Engaging with the community and key stakeholders to let them know who we are and spread the word of what we are working towards

The four words become a simple reminder of what it means to be an alumni and the four areas are the groups we need to work with. I ask of our students and alumni, this is yours to build and the strength of our business school and alumni will only be as strong as our alumni committing to represent our business school. It is an exciting time and I am proud to be doing this. I realize that I am all about categorizing and trying to use mechanisms to understand the complexity of the situation. Under the student engagement piece, there were the 5 Pillars of Student Engagement. Now in alumni, the 4X4 is the new way I can think about all this.

As I go into the office today, this now becomes another milestone date for me, a lot has not changed in who I am, the work I will do and my commitment to you all. It is a new opportunity with many possibilities. I realize that I do enjoy the visioning, building and implementing. The realization I have had is that I spent 8 years creating and admiring the work at the student engagement piece and now it is time to build a house of undergraduate alumni engagement. Take the alumni code and make this happen!